Scammers have been impersonating priests and even the bishop in the Diocese of Austin over the last several months. The Diocese of Austin has received several reports from parishioners and parish staff members who have received texts and e-mails from scammers pretending to be their pastor. Diocesan staff members have also received fraudulent texts and e-mails from scammers pretending to be Bishop Joe Vásquez. The texts and e-mails often attempt to persuade people to buy gift cards for the priests for needy parishioners. The Federal Trade Commission has sent out alerts about scams such as these and warns people not to fall for them. “Scammers are good at convincing people there really is an emergency, so lots of people have made the trip to the Walmart or Target or CVS to buy gift cards to send these callers. And scammers love gift cards –– it’s one of their favorite ways to get your money. These cards are like giving cash –– and nearly untraceable, unless you act almost immediately,” wrote Jennifer Leach, assistant director in the FTC’s Division of Consumer and Business Education, in a blog post for the federal agency. The agency has three important recommendations that might save well-intentioned parishioners from being ripped off. Don’t text back. Legitimate companies won’t ask you to verify your identity through unsecured channels, like text or email. Don’t click on any links within the message. Links can install corruptive software that may render phones or computers inoperable. Report the message to your cell phone carrier’s spam text reporting number. If you’re an AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint, or Bell customer, forward the text to 7726 (SPAM) free of charge. Deacon Ron Walker, the diocesan chancellor, warned parishioners to watch out for scammers. “Unfortunately, we have to be vigilant regarding scams and question the authenticity of all messages we receive, especially those that ask us to give money, credit card numbers, bank accounts or personal information. Look at those messages very carefully,” he said.